Total Complaints
10 filings
BMW 325 · model year
1990 BMW 325
10 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990BMW325 carries 10 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1990 325 is air bags:frontal with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:cooling system (1) and vehicle speed control (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 1990 325. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
10
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS | 1 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20060717UNKNOWN OR OTHER
REGARDING MY 1990 BMW 325 CONVERTIBLE. THE COVERING UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL ABOVE THE PEDALS WILL FALL ON MY FEET WHEN I AM DRIVING, MY FEET GET CAUGHT AND I HAVE TO PULL OVER AND PUSH THE COVERING OFF MY FEET AND SHOVE IT BACK OVER THE PEDALS. THERE IS A PLACE FOR IT TO LOCK INTO EXCEPT TO SIT ABOVE THE PEDALS. IT IS VERY SCARY WHEN MY FEET GET CAUGHT, I AM CONSTANTLY MOVING MY FEET TO PUSH IN THE CLUTCH PEDAL. I WAS GETTING MY OIL CHANGED AND THE PERSON WORKING THERE SAID HE ALSO HAD THAT PROBLEM WITH HIS BMW 325 CONVERTIBLE. *JB
19970401EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
BRAKE LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE; IN ADDITION, CANNOT OPEN THE UNLOCKED DOOR FROM INSIDE/ DRIVER'S SEAT WOBBLES AND SEAT HEATER OVERHEATED, BURNING DRIVER. *AK
19970401LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
BRAKE LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE; IN ADDITION, CANNOT OPEN THE UNLOCKED DOOR FROM INSIDE/ DRIVER'S SEAT WOBBLES AND SEAT HEATER OVERHEATED, BURNING DRIVER. *AK
19970401SEATS
BRAKE LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE; IN ADDITION, CANNOT OPEN THE UNLOCKED DOOR FROM INSIDE/ DRIVER'S SEAT WOBBLES AND SEAT HEATER OVERHEATED, BURNING DRIVER. *AK
19970401SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER
BRAKE LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE; IN ADDITION, CANNOT OPEN THE UNLOCKED DOOR FROM INSIDE/ DRIVER'S SEAT WOBBLES AND SEAT HEATER OVERHEATED, BURNING DRIVER. *AK
19960906VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
CONSUMER HAD RECALL #93V015000, FIXED A YEAR AGO, CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND THE CAR ENGINE COOLING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR OVERHEATED . PLEASE DESCRIBE .*AK
19950926VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. TT
19950901ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
ENGINE HCOOLING SYSTEM LEAKED AND THE ENGINE BURNED UP. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19950602CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
DRIVERS AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY DURING FRONT END COLLISON; REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE; THREE CAR COLLISION; ONE SENSOR CRUSHED UPON IMPACT. TT
19950602CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
PASSENGERS AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY DURING FRONT END COLLISON; REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE; THREE CAR COLLISION; ONE SENSOR CRUSHED UPON IMPACT. TT
Compare 1990BMW325 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 BMW 325 have?▼
The 1990 BMW 325 has 10 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 BMW 325?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 BMW 325 is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 1990 BMW 325 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.